Monday, December 7, 2015

Daily Grief - When Everyone Else Forgets (Part 7)

It happens often after someone passes away. Right at first, there are the meals, calls, visits, and support. There are the constant prayers of those who love you, and then the funeral takes place. Things go back to normal for everyone else, and you are left without your loved one, and everyone else forgets. You are not forgotten, but you would never expect those not related or a part of your everyday to continue at the rate they were supportive. It doesn't mean it's easy.

The same thing can happen to those who have a child with special needs or receive a major diagnosis. While in the hospital, there is tons of support. Go Fund me pages are often set up. There are 50 posts of encouragement on your Facebook wall perhaps, and this might continue for a while. In fact, as long as you post updates, then your closer friends will probably support you, but just like in the grief of a loved one, it's different. You now deal with the day-to-day struggles of a child with special needs, a spouse with traumatic brain injury, or perhaps the side effects that no one knows of that a cancer patient deals with. You are afraid to share things constantly for fear of pushing away friends. You might want desperately to leave the house as a family, but perhaps the difficulty of getting yourself or your family member with special needs together for a trip is more difficult than a trip out is worth. Or perhaps you do plan something only to have to change plans due to illness. So often is the life of those with daily grief over circumstances in life.

How do we handle this? How do we handle the grief over losing someone from this earth and the grief of not living life how we expected? They are really closer than we might think in their life effects. The common denominator is knowing God. That's how we make it. When all other support is gone, and you are left to your thoughts or the struggles of your situation. God is there.

Your God is There
When the tempest rages strong,
And your climb seems so long
Your God is there.

When you reach the mountain heights,
And your spirit feels so light,
Your God is there.

When it's time to climb back down,
And the clouds seem to surround,
Your God is there.

He is there to hold your hand.
He is there to help you stand.
He is there - you can depend.
Your God is there.